2008 State of the Union address: on Principles & Values
Barack Obama:
Turn the page on the failed politics & policies of the past
Tonight, for the seventh long year, the American people heard a State of the Union that didn’t reflect the America we see, and didn’t address the challenges we face. [We need] to turn the page on the failed politics and policies of the past,
and change the status quo in Washington so we can finally start making progress for ordinary Americans. Tonight’s State of the Union was full of the same empty rhetoric the American people have come to expect from this President.
Source: Response to 2008 State of the Union address
Jan 28, 2008
Barack Obama:
Overcome politics of demonizing opponents
Tonight was Pres. Bush’s last State of the Union, and I do not believe history will judge his administration kindly. But I also believe the failures of the last seven years stem not just from any single policy, but from a broken politics in Washington.
A politics that says it’s ok to demonize your political opponents when we should be coming together to solve problems. A politics that puts Wall Street ahead of Main Street, ignoring the reality that our fates are intertwined.
And a politics of fear and ideology instead of hope and common sense.I believe a new kind of politics is possible, and I believe it is necessary. Because the American people can’t afford another four years without health care, decent wages, or an end
to this war.
Imagine if next year, the entire nation had a president they could believe in. A president who rallied all Americans around a common purpose. That’s the kind of President we need in this country. And that’s the kind of President I will be.
Source: Response to 2008 State of the Union address
Jan 28, 2008
Mitt Romney:
Washington is broken & can’t deal with many problems
Primarily I saw that you had a President of the United States who is not running for re-election. His political career is over, and he has decided that he has a number of things he wants to say to the American people.
He said them honestly and forthrightly. I was disappointed that in many cases the Democrats wouldn’t stand and acknowledge the importance of some of the issues he raised. But I saw a President who recognizes that
Washington has been unable to deal with many of the problems we face. And whether that’s the ongoing threat from al Qaeda or whether it’s the need to reform Social Security or the need to finally secure our borders and have an immigration policy
that works. This was a President saying, ‘You know what? Washington ought to get the job done.’ Washington is broken, and I think that’s one more reason for us to see a change in direction in our nation’s capital.“
Source: Response to 2008 State of the Union address
Jan 28, 2008
Page last updated: Feb 24, 2019